Method and system for operating one or more tugboats

Abstract

A system for controlling at least one tugboat. The system comprises a control center for wirelessly remote controlling the at least one tugboat, and at least one tugboat suitable for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver.

1 . A system for controlling at least one tugboat, said system comprising:
 a land-based control center comprising a transmitter-receiver configured for wirelessly transmitting pilot-control thrust instructions for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   at least one tugboat configured for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   the tugboat comprising a control unit configured to control said tugboat; said control unit having a transmitter-receiver and configured to receive pilot control thrust commands from the land-based control center and the land based control center being configured to issue thrust commands to said tugboat and said tugboat being configured to carry out said thrust commands to assist said marine vessel upon receipt of said thrust commands form said land-based control center.   
     
     
         2 . A system for controlling at least one tugboat, said system comprising:
 a control center for wirelessly remote-controlling said at least one tugboat to sail to a particular position for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   at least one tugboat configured for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   the tugboat comprising a control unit configured to control said tugboat; said control unit having a transmitter-receiver and configured to receive pilot control thrust instructions from said control center for navigating to said particular position and said control unit being configured to receive pilot control thrust commands from a mobile remote control unit configured to wirelessly control said tugboat once it has arrived at said particular position, said mobile remote control unit being configured to issue thrust commands to said tugboat and said control unit being configured to carry out said thrust commands with said tugboat in order to assist said marine vessel upon receipt of said thrust commands from said remote control unit.   
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat is provided with an optical sensor arrangement or digital camera arrangement, preferably with a 360° field of vision in the horizontal plane of the area around at least one tugboat, a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the signal of said optical sensor to said control center and said control center being provided with a receiver for receiving the signal from said optical sensor arrangement or camera arrangement and said control center being provided with display screens for displaying, preferably real-time, and even more preferably real-time and on a 360° circular array of display screens, the signal of said optical sensor to a human operator. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat is provided with an acoustic sensor arrangement, preferably a directional acoustic sensor arrangement with a 360° field of hearing in the horizontal plane, a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the signal of said acoustic sensor arrangement to said control center and said control center being provided with a receiver for receiving the signal from said acoustic sensor and said control center being provided with transducers for reproducing the signal of said optical sensor, preferably real-time, even more preferably real-time and spatially, in said control center. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat comprises a positioning system, preferably satellite-based positioning system, and said at least one tugboat being configured to transmit its position as determined by said positioning system wirelessly to said remotely located control center. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat comprises a navigation system configured to sail said tugboat, preferably autonomously, from its present position, such as for example a berth position, to a target position, such as for example a mobilization position, received from said control center. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat comprises a controller configured to berth said tugboat autonomously, said controller being configured to accurately react to the near environment of said at least one tugboat to avoid overloading of berth or hull of said at least one tugboat. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said tugboat is provided with a crane or robot arm and a controller for controlling said crane or robot arm, said controller being configured to wirelessly receive instructions from said control center for operating said crane or robot arm. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 3 , wherein said mobile remote control unit is a portable remote control unit for a pilot. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one tugboat is configured to follow an assisted marine vessel at a substantially constant distance, preferably with a fixed relative position to the assisted marine vessel, upon receipt of instructions accordingly, received from said portable control unit or from said control center. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling at least one tugboat that is suitable for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver, from a remotely located control center, said method comprising:
 providing at least one tugboat,   providing a remotely located land-based control center,   sending instructions wirelessly from said remotely located land-based control center to at least one of said at least one tugboat for said tugboat to sail to a particular position for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   receiving said instructions wirelessly on said at least one tugboat,   said at least one tugboat sailing to said particular position upon receipt of said instructions to sail to a particular position,   wirelessly sending thrust commands from said remotely located land-based control center to said tug boat after said tug boat has arrived at said particular position,   said tug boat wirelessly receiving said thrust commands, and   said tug boat carrying out said thrust commands for assisting said marine vessel upon receipt of said thrust commands from said land-based remote control center.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , comprising at least one human pilot operating said land-based remote control center. 
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling at least one tugboat that is suitable for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver, from a remotely located control center, said method comprising:
 providing at least one tugboat,   providing a remotely located land-based control center,   sending instructions wirelessly from said remotely located control center to at least one of said at least one tugboat for said tugboat to sail to a particular position for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   receiving said instructions wirelessly on said at least one tugboat,   said at least one tugboat sailing to said particular position,   providing a mobile remote control unit in the vicinity of said particular position,   wirelessly sending thrust commands from said mobile control unit to said tugboat after said tug boat has arrived at said particular position, and   said tugboat carrying out said thrust commands to said assisted marine vessel upon receipt of said thrust commands from said mobile remote control unit.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , comprising a human pilot operating said mobile remote control unit, preferably whilst being located on said assisted vessel. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein control of said tugboat passes from said land based-control center to said mobile remote control unit when said tugboat assists said marine vessel to maneuver. 
     
     
         16 . A land-based control center for controlling at least one tugboat, said land-based control center comprising:
 a transmitter-receiver configured for wirelessly transmitting pilot-control thrust instructions to said at least one tugboat for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver, the pilot control instructions being received in a control unit of the at least one tugboat, the pilot control thrust commands being configured to wirelessly control said tugboat, and said pilot control thrust commands comprising a vector in relation to the hull of the assisted marine vessel.   
     
     
         17 . A land-based control center according to  claim 16 , wherein said the vector determines the magnitude of the thrust to be applied to the hull of the assisted marine vessel and the direction of the thrust to be applied relative to the hull of the assisted marine vessel. 
     
     
         18 . A land-based control center according to  claim 16 , wherein said control unit is configured to receive pilot control thrust instructions from the land-based control center and the control unit is configured to issue thrust commands to said tugboat and said tugboat is configured to carry out said thrust commands to assist said marine vessel. 
     
     
         19 . A remote controlled tugboat for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver, the tugboat comprising:
 a control unit having a transmitter-receiver configured to wirelessly receive pilot-control thrust commands transmitted from a land-based control center, said pilot-control thrust commands being for assisting a marine vessel to maneuver,   wherein the control unit is configured to command the tugboat based on the pilot control thrust commands and said tugboat is configured to execute said thrust commands to assist said marine vessel.   
     
     
         20 . A remote controlled tugboat according to  claim 19 , wherein said tugboat is configured to execute said thrust commands as vectors in relation to the hull of the assisted marine vessel.